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Chapter 13

THE GUIDANCE OF MASTERS AND THE NEED FOR IT

A: The Individual Guidance of Children (Parents) in Family

Preface: Since the discussion is at the point which deals with the necessity and importance of guidance of Teachers, it will not be inopportune to draw your attention to a portion of basic and essential values of parental education and other authorities of affairs of human beings, and the positive and negative impacts of guides.

It is an obvious fact that in the first step, the most perfect school is found in the bosom of parents. Their educations for the children are effective as of "print on stone." Therefore, it necessitates that parents pay heed to the manner of education and to its ultimate objective. In other words, the fathers and mothers are the ones who can mold their children as believers or unbelievers, wicked or decent, good-tempered or ill natured etc.

By perceiving these truths, parents should not let the most precious life opportunity of their children to be spent in ignorance and carelessness. They should also realize that if they do not leave the chaste and perfect imprint, based on oneness of God and sincerity, in all the memories, souls and psyches of their beloved children, and if they do not inform them well about social life and the value of congregational activities, then somehow the Jinni and human Devils, especially nowadays, will fill their memories, souls and psyches with unchaste manners, cruelty and hundreds of other immoralities and impieties festering up from the gutter of society. As the saying goes: "What is obvious, there is no need for it to be expressed." In such circumstances, the parents are responsible in front of God, for the child, his or her later corrupt undertakings in the society, and even for the generation coming after him or her, if they become addicted to that malicious soul and behavior. However, on the contrary, if parents raise their child as a sound believer and charitable individual along with other distinguished Islamic characteristics for the society, then up to whatever extent other people follow him and thereby these people become doer of good deeds, the parents are equivalently rewarded.

Hereby, take an attentive look to the following points, prepared as answered questions, so that you may become further familiar once again with this fact.

1. Have you noticed? The only creature, who makes efforts in educating children thinking of some personal gain in future, is mankind. Otherwise, all living creatures help their children to grow just up to the limit of maturity. Once, their children become able of undertaking their livelihood then their parents abandon them or even mostly expel them from the nest or den.

2. Have you noticed? The existence of children in family is as horsemen serving aristocrats in the period of feudality. As, in the past it was a custom among kings to assign to each aristocrat family up to ten, to hundred, or even thousand ration-receiver horsemen, and they had to be presented back to the royal court, in case of necessity. But it was a mere symbolic gesture to the aristocrat.

3. Have you noticed? Likewise, for the continuance and keeping up of the world's flow, Great God up to the time He wants, has given a few children to each family. He has made father and mother busy educating their children for the hope of bright future for their children. But, in reality, if you look deeper, these creatures are merely for the regulation of their own world and the necessary future administering of the world. As, for instance, each of us in his turn has the chance of his role in the world with his other contemporaries.

4. Have you noticed? After perceiving this truth, it becomes an obligation on parents to prepare their children first of all with Insight into Almighty God, and service to God's creatures based on theism morale. They should bring them up with excellent manners and appropriate skills. They should also train them skillfully with knowledge and sciences. It is an error for the parents to have extreme expectations from their children for their own worldly comforts. They should ponder how Almighty God kept them alive and comfortable to the proper extent before having children. Going forward, Almighty God will now as well grant them with better favors and graces, should they educate sound children. The purpose of educating children should be merely for sake of Almighty God, improvement of society, and the reward in the Everlasting World.

5. Have you noticed? The truth of what the Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), has stated: "After death, three things can be beneficial and contribute in elevating a person's station:"

1. Sound Children
2. Beneficial Knowledge
3. Continuous Charity

What is Continuous charity?

Verily! After the person dies, his spiritual rewards and recompenses are cut off. If he left after himself either all these three above mentioned deeds, or two of them, or one, then his stations in the Heavens keeps elevating.

6. Have you noticed? How will these excellent stations be given to people of acting upon one or more of the mentioned factors? Verily! The deceased person might have made his descendants to fully practice upon the knowledge and secrets of religion, and the service to God's creatures. The more, the descendants engage in performing charitable deeds at either individual or congregational levels, the higher and higher will go the parent's rewards.

7. Have you noticed? What is meant by Beneficial Knowledge is to gain knowledge of the path of Insight into Almighty God and the commands of the religious Jurisprudence that people would learn from this person, and coming generation would learn from these people who were this person's first students. So long as this true knowledge stays on, rewards will be given to the first Teacher who initiated them, elevating their stations in Heavens. Similarly, proportionally increased and multiplied stations will be granted to the reliable followers with respect to their levels.

8. Have you noticed? Continuous charity consists of things such as building a mosque, water reservoirs, electricity dams, streets or preparing Epistles and books promoting religious matters and laws, especially if they are based on complete Insight into Almighty God such as Qur'an, Hadith and the Epistles of Madrassa-e-Towheed etc. So long as, that book, water reservoir, street, or bridge remain in service and people benefit therefrom, successive rewards will be given to the founder increasing his station. Now it is necessary at least for parents to be Insightful of Almighty God and endeavor to do good deeds and to spreading the monotheism to others, and make their children more and more to practice upon.

9. Have you noticed? In case a person gives to the child the Islamic and humane lessons as well as gives clothing, food and livelihood, then the person will earn double reward and recompense. According to this criterion, the parents who besides guarding and taking care of their children also put effort in children's proper education based on Oneness of God and sincerity, then they receive double reward or even multiple recompenses. For, the impact of learning and teaching in this period (childhood) will not be forgotten from the mind. If, it is good, then it rarely disappears, and if it is bad, then the child quickly gets on practicing it.